


Fighter Plane

by miumiuchuu



Category: RWBY
Genre: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Angst, Character Death, Child Neglect, F/M, Fix-It, M/M, Mental Health Issues, canon is literally a nightmare in this au, fg is implied for future relationship, james has tried nothing but his best and do what he thinks is best even in this au, rated teen for alcoholism and child neglect, this is a fic where song lyrics are used as breaks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24328009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miumiuchuu/pseuds/miumiuchuu
Summary: A cruel loss, cruel doubts, cruel nightmares.Yet you could only try your best and do the next right thing. You could only move forward.Fighter plane, fighter plane. Fly away.
Relationships: Glynda Goodwitch/James Ironwood, James Ironwood & Oscar Pine, James Ironwood & Ozpin, James Ironwood & Qrow Branwen, Qrow Branwen & Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/Ozpin
Kudos: 24





	Fighter Plane

**Author's Note:**

> "Fighter Plane" by Ellie Goulding

_Stones falling down_

_Roller coaster, heart pound_

_Fears overplayed_

_Two left feet emergency_

His sleep was cut abruptly. No. Rather, cruelly. James Ironwood’s eyes were wide opened, horrified, as if he had seen a ghost.

_Oscar, aged up. About fifteen, maybe. Falling to his demise. His face filled with confusion. More than just confusion. Disappointment? Anguish? ...betrayed? A pistol on my hand… Was it me who shot Osca--_

There was a cold shiver creeping on James’ skin just by the attempt to remember it. He almost cried that he even _dared_ to remember it. In no course of his life he would like to remember it again.

He tried his best and he did what he could, but the future is scary and the nightmare was proof that doubts slowly began to fill his mind.

Years of service in the air force dented his shell little by little and he collected too many scars. Yet somehow, he was still here. Breathing. Perhaps for the greater good. Perhaps for other reasons. Perhaps for many more dents to come. Granted, those years of dents endured weren't as painful as this one.

He took a deep breath, slowly chanting a mantra he helped build during one of his therapy sessions. With his line of work, he desperately needed therapy and he knew how much it had helped.

He looked to the other side of his bed. Glynda was sleeping soundly and unbothered. Despite having her close to him, what he saw in his dream made him miss her and he was glad that she was there. Just there. After all these years, she stayed. Even when the going gets tough, they go through it together. James often thought that Glynda was the real fighter after all, way stronger than he was.

James gave Glynda’s soft blonde locks a gentle caress to help him ease a little. A smile was on his face.

But his thoughts raced back to Oscar. He got out of the bed as if there was an alarm, not bothering to cover his sleeveless undershirt he wore to bed despite the chill of early January. He felt like he needed to check on Oscar. He needed to make sure that the boy was alright.

Qrow agreed that Oscar should already sleep in his own room which James made sure it was accommodated. The estate he bought was quite wide but it would take time to renovate it properly. He thought he could do it as Oscar grew up. As for now, everything was enough for him, Glynda, Oscar and Qrow.

He opened the door to Oscar’s room as softly as possible. There was only a sound of the hanging space toy rattling quietly along with the wind. On a small toddler bed, Oscar was sleeping peacefully, tucked comfortably in his green quilt, unknown to the hardships of the world. His face round and clean. Innocent. Upon the sight, James smiled. A weary smile. He knew, he could feel it. He couldn’t tell the wetness near his eyes were tears or sweat, but God knew he was so relieved beyond anything to find Oscar was fine.

He gently touched the child’s forehead. Stroking it. He had no experience being a father, or an uncle for that matter, but he vowed the first time he carried the boy when his parents named him godfather, he would give and try his best for the child. Especially in times like these.

_Wide open space_

_Catch my tail_

_Fishing net_

_Fold up my frown_

_Take the rage_

_And smooth it out_

It was a hot Summer day. James thought he needed extra help in college prep, thus he signed up for a short semester program at school. There he sat near a kid, who was striking just from his rather white-ish hair alone. He heard a couple of sayings about the kid, how private and reserved he was and how he preferred books rather than humans. James heard unpleasant things about him too, mostly from his football teammates, but James thought that was just because they were jerks.

He introduced himself as Ozpin Pine. Unexpectedly, the two became close friends.

James had to admit that Ozpin’s nerdiness rubbed off on him, but he did have interest in engineering from the beginning. Ozpin only brought it to light. It was him that motivated James to try for the best tech universities in the country, and he managed to be enrolled in one. They both went to different universities in the end, as far as taking very different career paths, but they remained good friends. Ozpin became a professor at such a young age, something James expected, while James enlisted in the air force as soon as he graduated, in hopes to pursue the space program.

It was all thanks to Ozpin that James came across Glynda Goodwitch, who he ended up marrying for 10 years and to come. Glynda was a professor under his faculty, about their age but a few years junior. James chuckled every time he remembered that Ozpin slyly had plans to set them up since the beginning, but James couldn’t object to that. He was glad that Ozpin brought Glynda into his life. Ozpin was of course a best man at their wedding and delivered quite a speech James remembered sent his Aunt Hilda to dramatic tears.

James was also the first man Ozpin came out to. After a disastrous relationship with a woman named Salem, Ozpin realised that he preferred man a year after. James recounted that day, when he and Glynda decided to visit him one night just to check him if he was alright. They had a few drinks and James offered to cook. He confessed it was a fearful decision to finally come out. James especially knew, with the people he met in his work and his life, how scary it could be for Ozpin, but he was determined to support him no matter what. Ozpin knew he came out to the right people, in the safest place.

Just 6 years ago, Ozpin introduced them to his then husband, Qrow. Qrow wasn’t exactly the type both James and Glynda expected Ozpin to pick for a date. He was loudmouthed, unruly, brash and a total opposite of Ozpin’s pristine and calm demeanor. Glynda had so many remarks about him, so many complaints. Then again, she still has them up to this day. Ozpin convinced them that Qrow was a good man, a family type even. It was of course met with disbelief. But after a night of drink with the man, James began to understand Qrow more. He had a really tough life in the slums, falling to the pit of drug and alcoholism, and his sister never recovered from the same illness. He had to help raise his niece after her sister left -- only to have his brother in law’s new wife tragically die in an accident -- leaving Qrow now with two nieces he needed to support. He always quoted how he wouldn’t have sobered if it wasn’t for his two nieces.

Eventually, he and Qrow became friends too. Rather vitriolic, but he knew he was a good friend as much as Ozpin was to him. After all, they were both happy together and James was happy for them. Glynda took some time to warm up to him, but eventually, she and Qrow were in an amicable term.

Three years ago, Ozpin and Qrow decided to adopt a baby boy. The plan was to raise him from infancy as both men wanted to experience fatherhood organically. While both are excited, Ozpin was clearly more excited than Qrow was as this was his first experience with raising a child. James and Glynda were named godparents. They had a little welcoming and naming ceremony in Ozpin’s backyard. Ozpin and Qrow decided to name the baby Oscar, after Ozpin’s great great uncle.

Storms always come on the most unexpected days.

James knew since they were both teens in a Summer short semester. Ozpin always talked about it, his genetic cardiomyopathy, yet it never seemed to be something that bothered him. His father had it, he said. His father managed to live to the age of 68. Ozpin always went for a regular check up and took some kind of a regularly prescribed medicine. He was confident as long as he maintained a healthy lifestyle, he would be expected to live as long as his father did.

But heart attacks are ruthless. It goes in a matter of seconds. And at a second, a loved and dear friend was gone.

James was familiar with the idea of death. He spent most of his life as a military pilot. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Accidents were bound to happen. For James, death was always imminent and lurking at the corner. He even had Glynda prepared for it, to which he believed she was sick of him always detailing his insurance and plans to her. He knew she was worried, but it was necessary.

Yet, James, a pilot who went through life and death situations, survived and walked this earth to this day and Ozpin, a sheltered university professor, died at the mere age of 42.

Qrow took the loss heavily. Addictions were very prone to triggers, and so was Qrow’s. Ozpin death was it. He fell back to the pits of alcohol consumption, further to the point he became neglectful to Oscar. He spent nights at bars, drinking, picking fights, only to come home at noon and repeat the cycle. It was until a letter from social service came to his then small apartment as he lost all his money to drink, James and Glynda felt like they needed to interfere. They contacted Tai, Qrow’s brother in law, who was relieved they called. From Tai’s account, Qrow was acting weirdly to avoid his calls. He was worried sick. Qrow was enraged by the interference at first but as he sobered, he fell down to his knees, crying, admitting how hard it was for him to lose Ozpin. He was lost, abandoned, and had no purpose. Oscar only reminded him how empty and no good for a man he was. Right there, he believed could never be a good father to the little boy.

Due to Tai’s financial limitations and him living with his daughters, James and Glynda decided to take the action. Qrow agreed that they took him and Oscar with them. James broke their savings, all to Glynda’s consent and support, to buy an estate somewhere in a Midwestern prairie far from the hustle and bustle of the city, in hopes to raise Oscar in a less stressful environment and help Qrow heal better. James then sponsored Qrow for Alcoholic Anonymous as well as signed him up for therapy. As Qrow went through his healing process, he and Glynda took over the parental role for Oscar. Tending his every need from playtime to basic needs like food and hygiene, even as far as financially planning his education. Sacrifices were made. James requested for a base transfer and Glynda taught in a local university and it took them both two hours to go to work. They even had to hire a nanny to watch over Oscar (and Qrow) and help them around the house. 

James even wondered if he should consider farming a second job to help them sustain themselves better -- he started planting vegetables and fruit trees in the field. He couldn’t wait to teach Oscar about it.

James also had his new lieutenant, Clover Ebi to thank. Ever since he moved, he had been such a great help. He was such a friendly and soothing soul that he felt he could share a bit of his life to him, to which Clover sympathised. He even invited the man for dinner multiple occasions, introduced him to Qrow and Glynda. To his surprise, he got along with Qrow quite well and they became friends in a way Clover could reach a side of Qrow he couldn’t. The friendship with Clover certainly influenced Qrow in a positive light, as Qrow became much more motivated to go to AA meetings and therapy.

James only wanted the best for Oscar. For Qrow. For Glynda. For him. This was new. He wasn’t ready. He wondered if he would ever be ready. Yet doubts never seemed to leave James’ mind. He tried his best. He ought to try more. He could only try his best and do the next right thing. He could only move forward.

_Oil your chains, under rate_

_Read every page_

_Press the dents, fighter plane_

He pressed his palm gently to Oscar's forehead once more, slowly leaning. After giving the child a kiss on the forehead, he whispered, “Brave the sky and fly away, fighter plane.”

He left the room with a space in his heart, as if he was seeing a blue sky after going through thick clouds. Perhaps, it was a space to give room for chances and brighter future.

He went back to bed, beside Glynda, who was expectedly awakened after he got up. She always knew if he leaves the bed and she always knew there must be something on his head if he leaves the bed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, she turned to face him.

“I had a nightmare.”

“Are you okay now?”

“I’m good,” James gave her his best smile.

She gave him a worried look, but at the same time, filled with so much empathy and love. She reached to his face, rubbing his cheeks slowly, feeling every hair on his face.

Without having her to ask, he said it anyway, “What if I’m not enough? For Oscar? For Qrow? For us?”

“James, we could only try. And right now, this is enough. You are enough.”

“We could only try,” he repeated as he took Glynda’s hand for a kiss.

Glynda moved closer to give him a gentle peck on his lips.

“You are a good person, James. What you do is the best for everyone and I’m so proud of you.”

He gave his wife another kiss before the two cuddled in between the sheets.

For the first time in a while, James didn’t dream in his sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> A fic I have been wanting to write for a long time, if it wasn't for the amount of tears and depression just by the sheer thought of it. But I finally got the strength to type it down. I don't know how many of us need to read this. At least I do. Also, I'm still trying to navigate back to create RWBY contents, although this is still a very anxious experience for me. I swore off this show for a while and I'm still not comfortable to be involved with this show in public. While this show meant a lot to me personally, it wasn't such a great fandom experience for me in general. However, I do wanna share my stuff and finish my other on going fics, little by little as my AO3 account isn't so blown up. Please be gentle with me. Thank you for reading.


End file.
